If you are reading this alert, then you can help a man imprisonedbecause he dared to publish and prove that "gun control" laws cannot work.Here is your chance to stand up for principle -- and it will cost you almostnothing.

Philip Luty, an Englishman, was appalled at the British government'sresponse to a lone criminal's killing spree in Dunblane. Because the criminalused a firearm to kill several people, the government took that opportunity tooutlaw all handguns and privately owned long guns. That's right -- theBritish government outlawed all handguns and most long guns (except forthose held by police and military personnel).

Philip Luty was opposed to gun prohibition. Philip also was fairlyhandy with the tools in his workshop. To prove that outlawing firearmscannot stop people (especially dedicated criminals) from getting firearms,Philip set out to build a home-made machine gun. He built the gun usingcommon tools and readily available materials. He tested it safely and neverintended to harm anyone.

Philip then wrote a book about how to build a home-made machinegun. Of course, manufacturing and possessing a machine gun is highlyillegal in England, but Philip felt he was proving the futility of "gun control."He hired a man to take photos of the component parts and the machine gunitself, to be included in his book. Unfortunately, the photographer did notsympathize with Philip's cause, and informed the police of the wholeoperation.

The police swooped down with a SWAT team, but found Philipmissing. Nevertheless, they searched his home and found the evidence of themachinegun and its components and ammunition. Philip disappeared intohiding. The police eventually captured Philip, and he was tried andconvicted for making and having a machinegun and ammunition.

Philip had no prior criminal record. The judge acknowledged thatPhilip had no evil or criminal intent, that he had made the gun as an act ofprotest. Even the arresting detective was willing to speak on Philip's behalf.To set an example to all would-be protesters, the judge sentenced PhilipLuty to 4 years in prison this past Spring. Philip's attorneys appealed, butlost.

At the local prison, the authorities assessed Philip to be fit in securitycategory "D" which means "low risk." Category "D" prisoners areappropriately kept in an "open" prison, with opportunities to work outsideprison and even to visits to home on leave.

During the first four weeks of his imprisonment, Philip was movedthrough five prisons. These moves put Philip at risk and highly stressful anddisruptive to his mental state. Philip is not a hardened criminal. He hasconsidered suicide; he has lapsed into severe depression.

The prison authorities also did not treat Philip as though he fit inCategory "D". Instead, they erroneously (or deliberately) have treated him asa "locksmith." Locksmiths are put in Category "B", a much higher securityrating. Philip has never been a locksmith, and he could prove it. One of theprison wardens apparently got the false notion that Philip was a gun-makinglocksmith, and thus moved Philip to other, higher security prisons as soon aspossible. The false reputation has followed Philip throughout the system.Being in Category "B" means that he is confined with hardened dangerouscareer criminals. The jailers insist on treating Philip as a high security risk,when he is actually a political prisoner -- he never committed a violent crimeor even attempted one.

Philip's family members have sought every legal and bureaucraticmeans to downgrade his security rating to "D" so that Philip would not betreated like an axe murderer. The family has contacted members ofParliament, for example, to no avail.

Philip's mother worked hard to try to either free Philip or to act leastameliorate the harsh conditions of his confinement, but the authorities turneda deaf ear. She developed a brain tumor, and even when her condition wasdiagnosed to be terminal, the authorities would not even allow the harmlessPhilip to visit her before she died this Fall.

Family members are asking for our help to pressure the British HomeSecretary (who is in charge of domestic affairs) to downgrade Philip'ssecurity rating. Please, before you sign off today:

send an E-mail to the Right Honorable Jack Straw MP, Home Secretary,House of Commons, England.

Ask Mr. Straw to investigate why Philip Luty is being held in Category"B" prisons when

(1) Philip was originally categorized as Category "D",(2) Philip has no history of violent crime, and(3) Philip is a political prisoner being punished tomake a point, rather than to protect society.

Point out that the Labor government has promised to be a morecompassionate administration, and that Mr. Straw should show somecompassion to a young man being so severely punished for a non-violent actof political protest.

Or, you can fax Mr. Straw at 44 - 0171 - 273 - 3965 or 44 - 0171 - 273 -2190 (You will probably need to dial 011 first -- ask your operator if youhave questions about the procedure. The country code for the UK is "44" asindicated).

If you are interested in reading Philip Luty's Book, it is entitled "ExpedientHomemade Firearms: The 9mm Submachine Gun" and is available fromPaladin Press, Boulder, Colorado Click on http://www.paladin-press.com

JPFO is America's aggressive civil rights organization. How longwill we wait before horror stories like this one are even more commonplacein America than they are today? You can help JPFO to destroy "gun control".

To learn more, visit our web site at http://www.jpfo.org,or call us at (800) 869-1884, or fax us at (425) 451-3959.